Ice-making apparatus



Jan, 1 3, 1925.

. l.. BLOCK ICE MAKING APPARATUS Filed sept. 28, 192s 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan, 13, 1925. L.. BLOCK ICE MAKING APPARATUS Patented Jan. 13, i925.

LOUIS BLOCK, O IVIAMARONECK, NEW YORK.

ICE-:MAKING APPARATUS.

Application filed September To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, Louis BLOCK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marnar* oneck, in the county of lVestchester and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lee-Making Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to apparatus of the fixed can type, and the object of the invention is to provide means for filling the cans and supplying air thereto economically and efficiently and also effecting a desirable savino' in vertical height of apparatus.

zThe invention consists in certain novel features and details of construction and arrangements of parts by which the above and other objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and claimed'.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and show the invention as it has been carried out in practice.

Figure l is a front elevation of the improved tank, partly in vertical transverse section. V

Figure 2 is a plan view, partly in horizontal section, with certain portions broken away to show the parts below.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in elevation.

Figure l is a vertical section, on a larger scale, showing the means for attaching the bottoms of the ice cans to the tank.

Figure 5 is a corresponding plan view of an annular fitting by which such attachment is made.

Figure 6 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, through the upper portions of adjacent cans, showing the means for holding the rims of the cans in position.

Similar reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the figures.

The foundation on which the ice tank is supported is marked l0 and may be of concrete upon which lies the true bottom l1 of the tank. Secured to the bottom ll by angle irons l2 are the vertical end walls and sides marked respectively i3 and lil.

Extending longitudinally upon the bottom ll are channel beams which with angle irons 16 on the inner faces of the walls and ends support a plane level false bottom 17 for the tank, upon which the ice cans are detachably mounted. The under face of the false bottom is preferably smooth and unobstructed.

28, 1923. Serial No. 665,293.

The closed space between the true and false bottoms of the tank provides a shallow chamber beneath the whole area and has a depth determined by the height of the beams and may be understood to be about four in ches. 'lhree such beams are shown in the drawings; the central beam 19 extends from the rear nearly to the front end wall, and the beams 20 and 2l laid intermediate the central beam and side walls 14, extend from the front end wall nearly to the rear end wall, thus dividing the chamber into approximately equal passages, four in number, each in communication with the next around the end' of the intervening beam and formingtogether a long serpentine channel 15.

in the tank and extending from the front end wall nearly to the rear end wall is a vertical partition 22 located above the central beam 19 and dividing the body of the tank into two portions in communication around the open end of the partition. The ice cans are of the usual size and shape, each comprising a slightly tapered body 23, rectangular in plan, with a raised bottom 2li; they are arranged in rows side by side on each side of the partition 22.

Refrigerated brine enters the tank at the front through an inlet 25 controlled by a gate 26 and flows rearwardly through one of the tank portions, around the open end of the partition 22 and then forwardly in the other portion to an outlet 27 also provided with a gate 28, bathing the exterior surfaces of the ice cans in its traverse, freezing their contents, and escaping partially warmed as usual.

A warm brine inlet 29 and outlet 30 is provided at the front to supply suiiicient heat to the can bodies to release the ice blocks formed therein.

The top of the tank is provided with a framework 3l adapted to receive the upper margins of the ice cans and hold the removable insulating covers 32 in place on the cans, and the walls of the tank are protected by an insulating casing as usual.

Each can has a large central opening 33 in its bottom 2li, surrounded on the under face by an annular fitting 34 of cup-form having an outwardly extending annular flange 36 at the top by which it is secured to the can by rivets and solder. and an inwardly projecting annular lip 87 at the bottom, provided on its under face with an annular groove of dovetail section in which is mounted a rubber gasket 38 the downwardly projecting portion of which applies upon the 'upper face of the false bottom 17 and seals the joint between the latter and the can bottom. The false bottom is drilled and tapped at 18 to receive the screwthreaded lower end of a connection or plug 39 inserted through the opening provided by the lip 37 and having a fixed collar 40 adapted to seat on such lip, and a hexagonal head by which it may be turned by a long socket-wrench inserted through the interior of the can and screwed home. The plug is drilled axially to provideran aperture 41 therethrough leading from the chamber beneath the false bottom to the interior of the can. Thus connected the cans are held securely to the false bottom in direct contact therewith, and are further held in position by screws 42 extending through the rims of the cans and into the framework 31, This screw plug member constitutes a unitary member rigidly connecting the can with the false bottom and is removable bodily from within the can.

In order to prevent absorption of heat from below by the cold brine, the false bottom 17 is insulated on its upper face between thev adjacent lower ends of the cans with wood or other nonconducting material which may be similar to that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 501,316, dated July 11, 1893, this retards the formation of ice at the bottoms of the cans and prevents transferrence of heat from the Water in the space or chamber between the true and false bottoms 11 and 17 to the brinepcirculating in the tank. Pure water to be frozen is admitted to the chamber through a pipe 46 and may be withdrawn through the water outlet pipe 47, and a drain pipe 43 controlled by a valve 44 permits the chamber to be completely emptied when lrequired.

Air pipes 45 lead compressed air to the chamber and are shown at the front; it will be understood they may be connected at any convenient points.

The operation is as follows The water inlet 46 is opened to admit water to the space or chamber between the tank bottoms until the cans have been filled through the apertures 41 in the screw plugs, then the air inlet pipes 45 are opened to supply air. The brine inlet 25 and outlet 27 are then opened and cold brine circulated through the tank and between the cans, passing around the end of the partition 22 in its traverse and through the outlet 27 to the brine cooler, not shown. The air blown into the water forms a mixture in the chamber and thus mingled with the water is delivered to the cans in sufcient quantities through the plugs 39 to insure the required agitation of the water in the cans to produce clear ice.

, Should the water in the cans be of such character as to need changing during the freezing process, the drain pipe 43 is opened and the water in the chamber together with the unfrozen water in the cans is drawn 0H. Then filtered pure water is pumped into the chamber through the water inlet pipe 46 V and air supplie-d as before until the ice cans are again supplied with the agitated water and the ice blocks are solidly frozen. As,

soon as this condition is reached Vthe circulation of refrigerated brine is stopped by closing the gates 26 and 28 at the brine inlet and outlet, and the supply of compressed air is out off. The brine is then taken out through pipe 30, is warmed, and returned to the tank through the pipe 29, and the circulation of warmed brine maintained until that portion of the ice in contact with the sides of the can is sufficiently melted'to K free the sides of the cake from the can. At the same time warmed water is circulated through the serpentine channels of the chamber or space beneath vthe false 'bottom 17 of the tank to melt and free the lower end of the cake. be lifted from the cans by suitable hoisting means attached to short lengths of pipe or the like frozen into the upper ends of the blocks.

After all the ice is thus harvested the ice cans are again tilled with pure waterl Vas before and the process repeated.

lt will be noted that the attachment of the can bottom 24 to the false bottom 17 the tank is effected from. above so thatthe closed space or chamber between the truc and false bottom may be very shallow, for the reason that no pipe fitting or other work is performed therein, thus permitting a corresponding reduction in the height of the apparatus and of the building in which the apparatus is installed. And, as the false bottomv 17 is level and unobstructed on its lower face, air cannot accumulate in a layer or in pockets but is compelled to pass upwardly through the plugs 39 to therinterior of the cans thus insuring the desiredV agitation in the latter.

I claim The ice blocks may then l'. In a stationary-can ice making appara- Y and a unitary tubular screw plug member bodily operable from the interior of the can and separably attaching the can rigidly to the false bottom and permitting communication from such chamber to the interior of the can.

3. ln a stationary-can ice making apparatus, a tank having a true and a false bottom, an ice can supported on said false bottom, said bottoms being spaced to form a closed chamber coextensive With said tank, a, unitary tubular screw plug member bodily operable from the interior of the can and separably attaching the can rigidly to the false bottom and permitting communication from such chamber to the interior of the can, and sealing means supported on said false bottom about said plug.

4. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coextensive with said tank, a plurality of ice cans supported on said false bottom, and a unitary tubular screw plug member in each of said cans, extending through the bottom of the can into said false bottom and rigidly connecting the latter and said can and operable from the interior of the can and bodily removable therefrom, said tank adapted to contain refrigerated brine circulated among said cans.

5. ln an apparatus oi" the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coextensive with said tank, a plurality of ice cans rigidly and detachably mounted on said 'false bottom with their interiors in communication With such chamber, said tank adapted to contain refrigerated brine circulated among such cans, and means for circulating commingled mixture of air and water throughout said chamber and delivering such mixture to said cans.

6. ln an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coeXtensive with said tank, a plurality of ice cans supported on said false bottom, and a tubular 'screw plug in each of said cans eX- tendingl through the bottom of the can into said false bottom and rigidly connecting the latter and said can, said tank adapted to contain refrigerated brine circulated among such cans, and means for circulating comminglcd mixture of air and Water throughout said. chamber and delivering such mixture to said cans through said plugs.

'7. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coextensive with said tank, ice cans in said tank in communication with such chamber, Connections to said tank for circulating refrigerated brine among said cans, and connections for completely filling such chamber with commingled air and water and supplying such mixture to said cans.

8. ln an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and. a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coextensive with said tank, ice cans in said tank in communication with such chamber, connections to said tank for circulating refrigerated brine among said cans, connections to such chamber for circulating a mixture of air and Water therein, and insulating material upon said false bottom and inclosing the lower ends of said cans, a cup-shaped fitting on the bottom of each can, and a tubular screw plug received in said fitting and connecting said can to said false bottom.

9. ln an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coeXtensive with said tank, ice cans, a cupshaped fitting on the bottom of each of said cans, a tubular screiv plug received in said fitting and rigidly and separably connecting the can to said false bottom, insulating material on said false bottom and inclosing the lower ends of said cans, and means for supporting said false bottom, connections for circulating Water in such chamber in direct contact with said false bottom, connections for supplying air under pressure to the Water in such chamber, and means for Withdraiving the Water and emptying such chamber.

10. ln an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber coeXtensive With said tank, an ice can, a cupshaped fitting secured to the bottom of said can, and a tubular screw plug received in said fitting and rigidly and separably connecting said can to said false bottom and arranged to provide a space between said false bottom and the bottom of said can.

11. In an apparatus of the character set forth, a tank having a true and a false bottom separated to form a closed chamber, an ice can in said tank having an opening in its bottom, an annular fitting on the under face of said can and surrounding such opening and having an aperture therein, an annular gasket, and a tubular screw plug extended through such aperture, into said false bottom and engaged with the latter, serving to hold said can to said false bottom and compress said gasket, and to permit communication from such chamber to the interior of said can.

In testimony that I claim the invention above set forth l affix my signature hereto.

LOUIS BLOCK. 

